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The Shades of Blue Mondays – 5 Signs It Is Time To Seek Mental Health Support

Written by Ana Hrincu for Nest Integrative Wellness

January 16, 2023 is this year’s “Blue Monday”, a day commonly thought of as the “saddest” day of the year. Although based in fiction (identified and named that way as part of a PR stunt by a travel company), the idea to focus on mental health early in the new year is not a bad one. Statistically, Monday tends to be the most depressing day and during this time of year, the lingering negative effects of the holidays such as debt may be looming. This combined with the dark winter days can create the perfect storm for mental health struggles. But how do you know if the “blue” you might be experiencing this Monday is a fleeting mood or something more? When should you seek more professional support?

Read on for 5 signs it is time to seek mental health support.

1. You have noticed a change in your overall mood and it is affecting your relationships and approach to life.

Bouts of sadness, frustration, and disappointment can wash over us daily. It may be time to talk to a professional if you can’t shake these feelings and they are starting to impact your days and relationships on a larger scale. Are you more deeply impacted by the everyday annoyances? Maybe you find yourself getting more frustrated with your children or speaking in a harsher tone than you normally would with your spouse? Are you not enjoying activities you used to? It is common for symptoms of depression and anxiety to manifest into behavioural changes, including changes in relationships, sleeping, eating, and with alcohol. If you feel your fuse is shorter than normal and you are leaning more heavily on your coping mechanisms, it may be time to seek professional support.

2. You feel overwhelmed or stuck.

Experiencing overwhelm can happen for a variety of reasons and under a variety or circumstances. What overwhelms one person may not have the same impact to another. Although the experience is highly individualized, therapy can help to unpack the emotions behind the overwhelm and identify and understand the root causes. Therapy can also help to process old patterns and ways of doing that may be preventing you from moving forward in your life. We all journey through our lives with patterns, coping mechanisms, and routines we learned early on. Therapy gives space to explore the purpose of these patterns and analyze if they are working for you or preventing you from reaching your goals.

3. You experienced a trauma.

Tragedies that are out of our control can occur at any point in life. Death, birth trauma, assault, bullying – trauma can have longstanding effects that can be physical, emotional, and can impact the way we move through our lives. Professional mental health support can help you to explore the emotional sides of trauma, process the experience, and help you integrate the experience into your life’s story in a non-judgmental and compassionate way.

4. You’re going through a life transition.

Birth, loss, a new job, a new relationship, retirement – there are any number of life transitions and equally as many emotions to go with them. Seeking mental health support during a life transition can not only help you to process emotions as they are happening, counselling support shows you that you aren’t alone and can empower and ease you into life changes.

5. You could use someone to talk to.

A neutral, confidential, outside perspective is never a bad thing. Seeing a counsellor provides a space to lay all of your thoughts and feelings on the table and they won’t get burdened or exhausted by this as a friend or family member maybe would. Seeing a mental health professional offers a unique relationship that is unlike any other, as the purpose is solely for your growth and emotional health with no risk to other relationships and the rest of your life.

If you are feeling that this Blue Monday is impacting you more than usual and you aren’t functioning at your best, it may be time to consider seeking mental health support from a professional to help.

Nest’s Certified Counsellor Paschia is available for individual in-person and telehealth appointments to address mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, perinatal mental health, and grief. Book an appointment with her through our booking page today.